Alice: Madness Returns reminds me a lot of classic N64 platformers like Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie in the best of ways. By mixing a dark reimagining of a literary classic with stylish combat and rock-solid platforming, EA and Spicy Horse have created a gaming experience quite unlike any other. At any rate, its miles better than the lacklustre Tim Burton movie released last year. This is one rabbit hole worth tumbling down.

As the title might suggest, Alice is maddening. Somewhere wrapped in a straightjacket and thrown in the dark recesses of Madness Returns is one of the best games of the generation. But it's floating amidst a sea of inadequacies that prevent it from reaching its true potential.

Beautiful and rich fairy world is full of imaginative tasks and minigames. Excellent sound and visuals are spoiled by camera positioning and a weird checkpoint system but it should not discourage you from this interesting game. [July 2011]

Perhaps it is because I grew up during the era when platform games were king, but I adored each and every moment of Alice: Madness Returns.Perhaps it is because I grew up during the era when platform games were king, but I adored each and every moment of Alice: Madness Returns. The game mechanics while simple are a throw back to the days of Mario 64, with fluid platforming and a host of secret areas and unlockables to find. The environments are stunning, the settings haunting yet serenely beautiful all wrapped up with a truly emotional plot and music score. A very worthy successor to the original American McGee's Alice.…Expand

If there's one thing I expected with the second game, it was not to be disappointed. And it delivered. It delivered oh so well. Where do IIf there's one thing I expected with the second game, it was not to be disappointed. And it delivered. It delivered oh so well. Where do I even begin? This new iteration of Alice appears to be bigger and better in every way. There is a plethora of collectibles, bonus objectives, the so-called "memories", etc., but none of them are boring or tedious to get.There is a huge variety of clothiâ…Expand

If there's one thing I expected with the second game, it was not to be disappointed.And it delivered.It delivered oh so well.
Where do IIf there's one thing I expected with the second game, it was not to be disappointed.And it delivered.It delivered oh so well.Where do I even begin?

This new iteration of Alice appears to be bigger and better in every way.There is a plethora of collectibles, bonus objectives, the so-called "memories", etc., but none of them are boring or tedious to get.There is a huge variety of clothing for Alice as well.The intro cinematic is macabre, moody, dark, pulls you in the moment it starts and sets the mood perfectly.

The music..Let's just say that while I was disappointed at first that Chris Vrenna is only doing one track for the new game, the new composer nails it perfectly and does a fantastic job. Most of the pieces are outstanding in their own, like the main theme, some of the battle music.They do a flawless job of enhancing the atmosphere without being intrusive.They're errie yet beautiful.They juggle your mood from sadness to hope.The style of music itself is somewhat different from the original game, but the QUALITY is in no way worse.

The controls are fluid and require little getting used to, they just seem natural and aren't that hard to master.The camera is great, rotation is very helpful and the ability to go intro first person is a great touch.Alice's movements are great, her motion capture is very well done, her facial expressions are great.

Mostly every NPc you encounter actually has something to say - not random gibberish, mind you.And Alice often responds.

Which brings us to the next major strong point of the game - the vocie acting and dialogue.I'd lie through my teeth if I said I didn't expect both to be top-notch, but I was still very, very pleased with what they did.The dialogue is witty, doesn't feel forced, lines are often cryptic and metaphoric, they perfectly fit with the dark tone the game sets by shrouding a lot of what is said in mystery. The vocie acting..It's just perfect, I can't say much about that.There are fcew NPCs that aren't on par, but the ones who stand out the most are Alice and Dr. Bumby (for me, at least.)

The game has a great variety of characters, all unique, all interesting, all with their separate personalities and you're often left wondering what are their real intentions.

Combat has been flawless so far. I loved how McGee and his team preserved the core original style, but brought much innovation into the sequel's.Weapons are over-the-top, extremely fun to use and original.What I love even more is that fighting requires tactic - you can't win by just sitting and spamming one attack in one place. The game knows the player wants a challenge and rightfully delivers.Every weapon, naturally, has its own tactics, much like in the original game.

The graphics, while not being exactly groundbreaking (but who said they have to be?) are quite something - Alice herself, the locations, enemies all look gorgeous and there is extreme attention to detail in a lot of departments. Of course, there are the occasional blurry textures absolutely every game has, but that is is no way adetriment to the enjoyment of how good the twisted, yet beautiful Wonderland and its inhabitants look.Alice in particular is quite detailed, her hair flows around very naturally while jumping/running and her movements are believable and more or less realistic. The game utilizes the Unreal engine and does a very good job at using its potential.

The gameplay is everything I expected and much, much more.A platforming game in a gorgeous setting with detailed environments and interesting puzzles that seem to find the perfect balance - as in, they're not that hard to figure out, but the game won't spoonfeed you what to do, either. And I love that. And finally, the storyline.It's just fantastic.Deep, immersive, gritty, macabre, enchanting, depressing.It's flawlessly paced, flawlessly told and perfectly presented.Helping Alice overcome her sorrow, guilt and escape from the depths of her madness is something you truly take to heart if you let the world of the game suck you in (which it has no trouble doing.)In the spirit of keeping this spoiler-free, let's just say that the game offers everything the original did and much more, and does an even better job at doing it.

Overall, this game is more or less a shining gem that every fan of platforming adventure, mingled with tactical combat needs to try out.It's beautiful, dark, thrilling, and a stunning journey to the depths of insanity.Perfect score for being a perfect game.…Expand

Alice: Madness Returns is a game best played in short bursts due to it's repetitiveness, however it is also very fun. The creative art styleAlice: Madness Returns is a game best played in short bursts due to it's repetitiveness, however it is also very fun. The creative art style is both unique and amusing.…Expand

An imaginative platformer / adventure type game that I am glad to have tried and experienced. The artwork, creative and varied level designAn imaginative platformer / adventure type game that I am glad to have tried and experienced. The artwork, creative and varied level design and story were easily the strong points of this game. I also thought Alice as a character was very well done and the 'disturbed' take on, and story of, her journey through madness was interesting and at times surprising.

On the down side however the game was too long and towards the end had some very annoying sections that were an unnecessary and frustrating chore to complete versus advancing the story (e.g. the fiddly 'head pinball' style sections and annoying slides).…Expand

Way too long. I like this game, environment, plot, this dark and creepy atmosphere, but the game is just too long. You just jump from platformWay too long. I like this game, environment, plot, this dark and creepy atmosphere, but the game is just too long. You just jump from platform to platform and use 2 to 3 weapons. 10 hours of the same gameplay and I'm only at thirty percent. I didn't uninstall the game for long, thinking maybe I will come back and finish it, but no, there are other more action games. But I can rate this game low, it is great, at least for first ten hours.…Expand

Way too long and repetitive. People who rate this game a ten have to be out of their minds..how can you sit through such boring gameplay. YouWay too long and repetitive. People who rate this game a ten have to be out of their minds..how can you sit through such boring gameplay. You have seen everything after the first few hours. It never gets refreshing after that..Sure, some of the stages have been designed nicely but it's always the same "jump", "push a switch", "kill enemies" -> repeat ad nauseum.…Expand